Hi friend,
I uploaded an interactive translation of the four noble truths for you to meditate with.
Even if you’re not a Buddhist, you’ve probably heard of the four noble truths that Gotama the Buddha awakened to. But even if you’re a Buddhist, you probably don’t meditate on them, because they sound too vague to be of any real therapeutic value.
That’s the state of Buddhism in the West today, and that’s a shame, because,
Gotama achieved psychological liberation by awakening to these noble truths1,
according to the Buddha, everyone who awakens does so by realizing these truths2, and,
the Buddha taught that “the breakthrough to the four noble truths is accompanied only by happiness and joy” 3.
At the same time, we don’t want to get caught up in any one way of presenting these truths. The Buddha himself taught that these truths can be described with “countless explanations, phrases, and expressions” 4, and that intelligent students should be able to agree with different descriptions as long as those descriptions are true and beneficial5.
For instance, you may remember that in my article on Breath-Based Mindfulness, I said that the Buddha attained awakening by practicing breath-based mindfulness6, and now I say that the Buddha attained awakening by contemplating the four noble truths. So which is true? They’re both true! Gotama entered the flow of the present moment by following his natural breath before becoming familiar with the noble truths — in the sixteen steps of breath-based mindfulness, the last four steps describe the first three noble truths.
Translating twenty-five centuries old insights from the other side of the globe into the modern Western world is a challenge that Pāli scholars have embraced with heart and intelligence. At the same time, we must recognize that Buddhism is very new to the West, and we still have much to do to make the Buddha’s teaching accessible, understandable, and effective. In a future article, I’ll get into the details of why I translate the four noble truths the way I do, but for now I’d like to introduce you to a concept I’ve coined that I call “Deep Translation”:
It’s the model I use to translate the Buddha’s words. Until my translations complete this triangle, I don’t consider them ready to share. So here’s my commitment: I’ll only publish translations of the Buddha’s teaching that I believe,
agree with the original Pāḷi scriptures (suttas) — and I’m willing to give you the exact references so you can check for yourself,
are logically consistent — and I’m ready to argue my case through conversation, and last but not least,
are beneficial when put into practice — and I can say this from personal experience finding deep joy meditating on these translations.
For the four noble truths, I felt it was important to offer a variety of words and phrases for you to choose from, both because some words will click better for you than others, and because reading different descriptions of these noble truths will illuminate and enrich your understanding. This gave me the idea of an “interactive translation” where the user could choose their favorite wording to meditate on. My JavaScript skills are rusty, so I was thrilled to see Tord Dellsén take on this challenge brilliantly and efficiently. Thank you so much Tord, and thanks Cata for putting us in touch!
Dear friend, the Buddha encouraged his students to “support and establish friends and family in the understanding of the four noble truths”7, the “highest teaching of the Buddha”8.
I’m excited to share with you this interactive translation, and I invite you to take 10-20 minutes to play with it and meditate on the first three noble truths, in the present moment.
🙏💛
Thank you for being part of my life’s mission.
Everything I offer to this Mental Health Revolution is free and will remain free. I write all the articles, and only use AI to help me with the spelling, grammar, and word use. I welcome your concrete and specific suggestions for improvement.
The Nazi formula is, “You are all being threatened by [ABC] and if you refuse [XYZ] you are irresponsible and expose everyone else to danger.” Please recognize this message when you see it.
Take care of yourself. You deserve to be healthy, happy, and free — regardless of what parts of your subconscious may say. Taking care of yourself is a wise investment — when you feel better, you show up better and everyone benefits. There are simple, natural, and science-based practices that can make a real, positive difference in your mental health. There are ways to implement these practices that increase your chances of success. And you can learn about all of these.
1️⃣ The #1 thing you can learn from me is the Daily Wellness Empowerment Program (DWEP). Print a DWEP Sheet and get started.
2️⃣ The #2 thing you can learn from me is Central Story Training (CST).